IAnywhere Looking To Boost Partner Base By 25 Percent

Dublin, Calif.-based iAnywhere, a division of Sybase, is creating a program that emphasizes the specific needs of VARs and integrators as part of an overall channel restructuring, said Shirley Macbeth, director of marketing at iAnywhere.

The Channel Alliance Program will provide VARs and integrators with product discounts, development software, participation in beta programs, training, a free certification exam and custom technical support, she said.

The program also features a new Premier level, designed for solution providers that bring in a significant level of business, Macbeth said.

Premier-level benefits include a designated Alliance manager, up to five days of customized training, additional certification exams, enhanced technical support, and joint sales and marketing activities, Macbeth said.

There are no specific requirements to qualify for the Premier level, Macbeth said. Rather, partners are evaluated for the Premier designation on a case-by-case basis, she said.

"We look at partners based on the opportunities they have identified, number of accounts they've brought in and the size of potential business they can deliver," she said.

Macbeth said iAnywhere is hoping the new features, expected to be announced at Sybase's annual TechWave Conference here this week, will increase its overall membership of 1,000 partners by 25 percent this year.

Ken Schiller, national practice manager at Analysts International, a Minneapolis-based solution provider, said in the current market environment he's looking for partners that eschew channel conflict. IAnywhere's sales force isn't eyeing his potential partners or seeking to obtain access to his contact list, Schiller said.

"What I want from a partner is someone who will help me with deals that I have as well as take me out to potential new clients," he said. "I do not want to have an adversarial role."

IAnywhere is splitting its channel program into three distinct categories: channel, embedded and technology.

The embedded category will serve software developers who are embedding iAnywhere's mobile database into their own applications, while the technology program will serve device, operating systems and software vendors.